How to Edit & Fix Transaction Categories

ScrutiBank categorises every transaction automatically the moment you import a statement — but you are always in control. This guide shows how to change a single transaction’s category, correct a mistake, and teach the app a rule that re-categorises every matching transaction for you, now and on future statements.

Where categories come from

Every transaction is assigned a Category and an optional Subcategory automatically, using built-in rules, your own saved rules, and an on-device AI as a last resort. A small badge on each line tells you how it was decided — rule, ai or manual once you have edited it yourself. The categoriser runs entirely on your own computer, and no bank transactions are uploaded. The only thing that ever syncs to the cloud is the keywords you pick to override a category — that is what a “rule” is — so your choices follow you across devices (more on that below).

Change one transaction’s category

Four steps, about a minute the first time:

1. 1

   Open the Transactions view

   Import your statement(s), then go to Transactions. Every line is already categorised automatically — each row shows its primary Category and Subcategory.

2. 2

   Click the transaction you want to change

   Selecting a row opens the detail panel on the right, with the full description, amount, balance and the current category.

3. 3

   Open the category editor

   In the detail panel, click the category — or the Edit Category button (it reads Assign Category if the line has none). The Change Category window opens.

4. 4

   Pick the new category (and an optional subcategory)

   Choose a Primary Category from the left column; its subcategories appear on the right. A subcategory is optional — you can stop at the primary category. Then click Update Category.

Fix every transaction from the same merchant at once

If a shop, employer or subscription keeps landing in the wrong category, you can fix it everywhere with a single rule — no need to edit each line.

In the same Change Category window, look at Surgical Keyword Selection. The transaction’s description is broken into tappable words — click the one or two that uniquely identify the merchant (for example ALBERT and HEIJN, ignoring dates and reference noise), or type your own keyword in the box. Then:

1. Pick the correct category (and subcategory, if you want one).
2. Tap the word(s) that identify the merchant, or type a custom keyword.
3. Tick Apply to matching transactions.
4. Click Update Category.

ScrutiBank re-categorises every current transaction that contains that keyword and remembers the rule, so the same merchant is categorised correctly on every statement you import in the future.

Find the transactions that still need attention

In the Transactions view, use the search box to jump to a merchant, or switch on the Uncategorised only filter to list just the lines that have no category yet. Work through those, set a rule where it helps, and your statement is fully categorised.

Your statements stay private — your rules follow you across devices

ScrutiBank is the only app that provides bank-transaction forensic analysis, and it does the analysis on your own machine — no bank transactions are uploaded. Your statements, transaction descriptions, amounts, dates, account numbers and the names of the people you pay all stay on your computer. Once your transactions are categorised, that same on-device data powers automatic forensic reports, expense breakdowns and multi-account money-flow tracing.

The one and only thing ScrutiBank syncs to the cloud is your rules — and a rule is simply a keyword you chose to override the default category. For example, you decide that anything containing ALBERT HEIJN should be filed under Shopping / Groceries; what gets synced is exactly that pair, the keyword and the category, and nothing else. There is no other bank data in the cloud: no transaction descriptions, no amounts, no dates, no account numbers and no names. The rules are stored under your own anonymised account in a secured database in the European Union (the Netherlands), purely so that your categories follow you when you install ScrutiBank on another computer. If you never customise a category, nothing is saved or synced at all, and you can review, export or delete your rules at any time. See the Privacy Policy for the full detail.

Frequently asked questions

Will my manual changes be overwritten the next time I import a statement?

No. A category you set by hand is marked as a manual choice and is protected — the automatic categoriser and the on-device AI will never overwrite it. If you also turn on “Apply to matching transactions,” ScrutiBank saves it as a rule and applies it to every new statement you import from then on.

Does editing a category use an AI transaction?

No. Editing categories and creating keyword rules are completely free and never touch your AI-transaction balance. In fact they save AI transactions: once a rule matches a description, ScrutiBank assigns the category instantly and skips the AI entirely.

How do I re-categorise every transaction from the same shop at once?

Use “Surgical Keyword Selection” in the Change Category window: tap the word(s) in the description that identify the merchant (or type your own), tick “Apply to matching transactions,” and click Update Category. ScrutiBank re-categorises every current line that contains that keyword and remembers the rule for future imports.

Can I undo a category change?

Yes. Just open the same transaction again and pick a different category, or clear the keyword rule by editing one of the matching transactions. Nothing is permanent.

Can I invent my own category names?

Categories come from ScrutiBank’s fixed forensic taxonomy so that reports, charts and money-flow tracing stay consistent and court-ready. You assign each transaction from that list — and when you want to group categories your own way, build a Custom Report.

Where are my category rules stored — does anything get uploaded?

No bank transactions are uploaded. Your statements, transaction descriptions, amounts, dates, account numbers and names never leave your computer. The only thing ScrutiBank syncs to the cloud is your rules — and a rule is just a keyword you chose to override a category, for example “ALBERT HEIJN” → “Shopping / Groceries.” That keyword-and-category pair is all that is stored, under your anonymised account in a secured EU (Netherlands) database, so your categories follow you to a new device. If you never customise a category, nothing is saved or synced at all, and you can review, export or delete your rules at any time. The Privacy Policy has the full detail.